Pressure on Punjab rivers likely to increase: NDMA chairman
ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has warned that pressure on Punjab’s rivers is likely to intensify as heavy rainfall and water inflows from India continue to swell the Sutlej, Chenab, and Ravi rivers.
NDMA Chairman Lieutenant General Inam Haider Malik, addressing a press conference on Wednesday, said Pakistan is currently in the eighth and penultimate spell of monsoon rainfall for 2025. He noted that northern Punjab and occupied Kashmir had received unprecedented downpours, with over 300mm recorded around Jammu and nearly 600mm near Sialkot.
“The Chenab River at Head Marala peaked at 700,000 cusecs and has now receded to around 550,000 cusecs,” he said, warning that floodwaters from the Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers have already crossed into Pakistan’s territory. At Head Khanki, he added, a flood discharge of one million cusecs is expected to increase pressure on Qadirabad in the coming days.
He further stated that the Ravi River is experiencing 230,000 cusecs of water at Jesar, while pressure continues to build at Shahdara and Barki. Meanwhile, India has released water from upstream dams into the Sutlej, where heavy rainfall has compounded the flood situation. A 250,000 cusecs flood at Ganda Singh was compared to the devastating 2023 floods, when large-scale evacuations were carried out.
The NDMA chief emphasized the urgent need to relocate people to safe areas. Around 200,000 residents along the Sutlej River have already been evacuated with the support of the Pakistan Army, PDMA, and rescue agencies. He added that relief camps have been set up, ensuring provision of medical care and basic facilities.
READ MORE: Punjab rivers in extreme flooding as Sialkot rainfall breaks 64-year record
Meanwhile, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed that two soldiers lost their lives and two others were injured during flood relief operations. DG ISPR Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that over 28,000 people have been rescued so far in Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
“No post in flood-affected areas has been abandoned,” he said, adding that major rescue operations were under way in Kartarpur using boats. He reaffirmed that the Pakistan Army stands united with the people in this crisis.
Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar also briefed the media, stating that the NDMA, PDMAs, and provincial chief secretaries remain on high alert. He confirmed that relief items, including tents, were being distributed to affected families on the prime minister’s directives. Tarar further warned that water discharge from the Sutlej was rising from Gandhara to Head Khanki, increasing pressure downstream toward Qadirabad.
